Coastal SC April 2006

Day One: Tuesday, April 11

Off on our first trip in the little RV – down the back roads toward the coast, first stop Cypress Gardens near Moncks Corner. This 170-acre swamp garden was originally part of Dean Hall, one of the Cooper River’s largest and most prosperous rice plantations.

Cypress Gardens was developed by Benjamin Kitteridge around the old water reserves used to cultivate rice on Dean Hall Plantation. He planted thousands of azaleas, built several miles of walkways and bridges, and planted an avenue of magnolias.

After walking the trail around the lake, we went for a boat ride to see turtles, alligators and lots of flowers. The black water makes for beautiful reflections of the trees, Spanish moss and flowers.

After a brief stop to see the newest Wheeler (Wilson James Wheeler, born April ) and his proud parents ...









... we checked into Buck Hall Campground in the Francis Marion National Forest, alongside the Intracoastal Waterway. Campers were greatly outnumbered by no-see-ums, nasty little biting gnats that made it impossible to relax outside.

This site marks the easternmost terminus of the Palmetto Trail. We walked far enough to say that we walked on the Palmetto Trail, but we couldn't outrun the mosquitos, so we headed back to camp.









Day Two: Wednesday, April 12

Today we checked out the Sewee Visitor Center, headquarters for this section of the National Forest. ‘Sewee’ is the name of an Indian tribe that inhabited this area during the 1600’s and early 1700’s; their name means “island people.” We walked the Nebo Pond Trail and saw the red wolf enclosure, where the Forest Service tries to breed the nearly extinct red wolf.

The red wolf is one of the rarest mammals in North America, and the captive –breeding program here has raised the fox population numbers from 14 to 300. Also saw a huge fox squirrel, but he was quicker than the photographers.

We then headed over to Sewee Shell Mound Trail, which begins along a shady lane of trees and opens into areas scarred by Hurricane Hugo and wildfire. The trail offers views of the salt marsh, tidal creeks, and the Intracoastal Waterway and leads to a prehistoric shell ring, estimated to be 4,000 years old.

This oyster-shell midden is about 150 feet in diameter and is thought to represent a communal gathering area of early inhabitants of the area. The trail also passes another midden, an oval pile composed of clam shells, dating back about 1,000 years.

At noontime, we drove over to Garris’ Landing to eat our lunch and confirm the arrangements for tomorrow’s trip to Bull Island. This landing is maintained by the Forest Service and is a popular spot for launching boats and (at low tide) gathering oysters.

This afternoon’s jaunt was on the I’on Swamp Trail, which crosses embankments and ditches built during the 1700’s to create impoundments for rice production. There is water on both sides of the trail,though it would be difficult these days to manuever a rice barge down these narrow canals.

There also are signs of wildlife everywhere – wood ducks, slider turtles, herons, alligators and river otters - we could see the signs and hear the sounds, but did not see many live ones.

After a real adventure in learning how to use the shower in the RV, we met the local Wheeler clan at the Crab Pot (in McClellanville) for dinner. Fresh local seafood and little Miss Frances for entertainment.

Day Three: Thursday, April 13

Today we were up bright and early to head back to Garris Landing to catch the boat to Bulls Island. It’s not much more than a glorified pontoon boat, but it comes with naturalist and great views of the salt-water marsh creeks, which are home to dolphins, egrets, pelicans and herons. This area is perhaps the state’s most pristine wilderness, 64,000 acres of Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.

Bulls Island is the largest of four barrier islands in the refuge; it is a 5,000-acre island consisting of maritime forest, fresh and brackish water impoundments, sand dunes and white sandy beaches.


Live oaks, palmettos, pines and magnolias are the dominant trees found on the island. Wildlife is abundant (especially the alligators), but bird life is what Bulls Island is known for throughout the world. Nearly 300 species of birds have been recorded in the refuge, most on or near Bulls Island.

The one man-made structure on the island is the Dominick House, which was the winter residence of US Senator Gayer Dominick who once owned the entire island; he eventually sold the island to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The house is now used as living quarters for refuge employees and volunteers; a visitor center is being planned.

There’s no transportation on the island (though you can bring bikes), so – after docking in Summerhouse Creek - we walked, and walked and walked – a total of 28,000 steps on various trails. Pictured are portions of Turkeywalk Trail, Sheepshead Road and Alligator Alley.

We saw more alligators than anything else – including one fellow who is challenging for the state record.

We finally made our way out to Boneyard Beach, a three-mile stretch on the far northwest corner of the island. Boneyard Beach is strewn with hundreds of oaks, cedars and pines that have lost their battle with the incoming surf. The area gets its name from all the downed trees that have been bleached by the sun and salt water, ultimately resembling a graveyard of bones.

We wandered among the tree skeletons and headed back down the beach. Took the Beach Road across the island back to the dock, where our boat was waiting to take us back to the mainland. It was a long day, but well spent.

Day Four: Friday, April 14

Today we broke camp and met brother Dan and his buddy “Heavy Duty” McClellan at the crossroads for a special visit to the Santee Coastal Reserve. This 26,000-acre preserve is about 8 miles north of McClellanville; in 1974, the Santee Gun Club donated this property to the Nature Conservancy, which subsequently deeded most of the property to the SC Department of Natural Resources. The Nature Conservancy retained the ecologically sensitive Washo Reserve, which is one of the most important wading bird rookeries in the nation.

Our first stop was the office to meet a friend of Dan’s, who took us on an unofficial tour of the old hunt club clubhouse. The clubhouse is a big, rambling building, with ‘common’ rooms downstairs and sleeping quarters upstairs. Even though the building is in sad shape, it is obvious that the hunt club members had plenty of money and a sense of humor.

Pictured here is Dan standing in the gun room where each member had gun cabinets and we found a sign announcing one of the Club's annual events.

We also went down to the dock on the Santee River, where we interrupted a gentleman fishing for his supper. And of course, this was another friend of Dan's - it seems that he knows everyone within a 25-mile radius of McClellanville.

Our last stop was the Marshland Trail, including a boardwalk into the 200-year old Washo Reserve. The trail first follows along an earthen dam that helps retain water in the Reserve and then the boardwalk heads deep into the wetlands of cypress and tupelo trees. Some of the cypress knees were as tall as 4 feet high, surrounding the buttressed base of these majestic trees. This is the home of ospreys, eagles, all sorts of ducks and wading birds, and alligators.

Back in McClellanville, we loaded up on fresh strawberries and then headed home. We stopped in Holly Hill to eat barbeque at Sweatman’s Barbeque, which was written up in Southern Living as one of the region’s best.